The resignation yesterday of Pratap Bhanu Mehta, the president of the Centre for Policy Research, and Andre Beteille, the renowned sociologist, from the Knowledge Commission, protesting the UPA Government’s refusal to see the other side of the reservation issue, sparks a simple question.

Shouldn’t Nandan Nilekani, the chief executive officer of Infosys, too quit the panel that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up with great fanfare and to even greater expectations?

After all Infosys chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy has already said no to the move to hike seats in IITs/IIMs to make up for the hike in quotas. After all, Indian industry has already said no quotas in the private sector for which social welfare minister Meira Kumar yesterday set a two-year deadline.

Shouldn’t high-profile members like Nilekani quit to show that they care for merit, that they care for the striking students, that they are willing to put their money where their mouth is? Or do they like bread buttered on all sides, including the crust?

In the same vein, since six of the eight Knowledge Commisison members, including Sam Pitroda, are opposed to the reservation move, shouldn’t they quit, too, if they are intellectually honest?

Mr Nilekani must quit as must the others. I remember reading news reports that out of the eight Knowledge Commission members, except for Jayati Ghose, a known leftist-economist, and P.M. Bhargava, former director of CCMB Hyderabad, all the others including Sam Pitroda were opposed to the reservation move in its present form. I think they should follow in the footsteps of Mehta and Beteille to show that they have some spine as opposed to the politicians who have all behaved as if the striking students and anti-reservation wallahs have no case at all. If Pitroda, who is close to the Gandhi family, can put his foot down, we might actually see some movement.

I believe that Mr Nilekani must not quit. With statements coming forth from the HRD minister that the Knowledge Commission is a useless organisation, quitting it would only reinforce the idea. The members should continue on board and make their ideas public on the reservation policy, the requirement of reservation in India and the extent to which the Govt. is paying heed to what they have to say. They should come out openly in favour of the striking students.

Our country is submerged in the irretrievable reservation muddle. When the whole world is progressing, we Indians are sliding back to the stone age, thanks to our power-hungry politicians, who mess up every thing.

The best Knowledge commission can do is to stand for certain principles they believe in. There are just no such leaders in India today either in politics or in the field of education.
In any case no political party would have implemented the recommendation of the knowledge commission. At least by resigning they will make a point.

Inspired by their examples, pPerhaps IIT and IIM directors and faculty members will do the same thing. None of them have so far joined this debate as though they are above all that. They have as much responsibility as any one else.